Yesterday went to Pharmacy (drug store) and got some help for my adrenals: Ethical Nutrients Extra C tablets (highly absorbable vitamin C) and some vitamin B complex (good ones with no herbs and nasties to react to). I took some yesterday and felt like the vitamin C did alot of good and I was able to handle the stress of preparing dinner and all much easier than normal. The pain in the kidneys went away!

I was looking for licorice tea but there wasn't any there and I had to rush and pick up my DD from school. Found some licorice sugar free lollies though. It made me feel better quickly, but was pretty spicy tasting. Unfortunately, it has given me a headache, dry mouth and a little asthma this morning. Checking the ingredients, it has gum arabic:

Quoted Text

Derived from the sap of Acacia Sengal; consists of high molecular weight polysaccharides which can be used to produce arabinose, galactose, rhamnose and glucuronic acid. Gum arabic is used in food as a thickener, stabiliser, glazing agent and emulsifier, and is readily water-soluble. Easily broken down by the human digestive system; possible allergen, and may cause asthma and skin rash. Soothes irritations of mucous membranes. Typical products include chewing gum, sweets, jelly, fondants, beer, soft drinks, fruit squash, wine. See 410. May cause weak allergic reaction in some individuals. May act as an irritant. From the MBM food additives guide at http://mbm.net.au/health/guide.htm (http://mbm.net.au/health/400-495.htm)

Gee and it was packaged as a low GI sugar free, gluten free supposedly healthy product. I'd rather have molasses that are good for me with licorice! Will have to go to HFS for licorice tea now.

P.S. Gum Arabica is an avoid on my SWAMI, no wonder my reaction to the licorice containing it. I wonder, after seeing the info above, if Gum Arabica is good for anyone on their SWAMI? (nice name, terrible stuff )

Symbi...it was Licorice Root Extract (Glycyrrhiza Glabra) 400mg with 16% Glycyrrhizin by Vital Nutrients and I take it with Potassim Citrate. I don't think this should be done without a doc though due to possible blood pressure changes and such.

You are a sweety (and beautiful I see in the photo thread). I hope your new regime is making you feel good?

I bought a blood pressure monitor and have been checking my BP at home. The Doctor told me to do that as it's yo yo ish anyway. It goes up during that time of the month and most of the rest of the time it's too low !

So I made some licorice tea from the roots (just a teaspoon) and it's delicious. Didn't even need sugar. It feels good. Only had it once a day so far when I felt I needed it (hot days). I made sure I ate lots of potassium-rich foods around that time too, like carob or nectarines.

It's helping, I'm not urinating as much or dry and drinking all the time or craving salt. Feel less fatigued. Though still having lupus-like symptoms.

Am going to see the rheumatologist on Thursday and the oral pathologist on Wednesday about my mouth problem. Had it for 9 years, hey do you think I'll get a diagnosis now I'm seeing the right doctor? (saw a dermatologist before and he didn't have a clue)

Actually I have to watch for my hopes being too high cos I may get disappointed. "Prepare for disappointment". Here's one I think I made up not sure, "The only certainty is uncertainty". Must be time for a laugh. Where's Possum?

Love that photo of you and that hat! OOOOOOH, I need a trip to Australia to get me one. Sure, I probably could find it here but that would mean I don't get a trip!

Sounds good to me Symbi and thank you. I am now completely off my Florinef and depending on the Licorice. So far I have gotten dizzy a few times but my salt craving is sooooo improved and I too don't rush to the bathroom all the time after a glass of water.

Those Lupus symptoms...yeah, like I said, I was there. Back then, tyrosine and red clover helped me but you need to look those up and see if that is ok if you want to try that. I can tell you that I was on Plaquinel and it did very little for my symptoms. I hope they improve, I do know this diet is your best answer in terms of long term treatment for whatever is the ailment.

Have some news. Even though I seemed to have drug induced lupus it has gone away now . I know now to avoid drugs in the future - well who needs em anyway with healthy food and exercise and Dr D's guidance on supplements.

The Rheumatologist has ordered a test for my adrenals - the ACTH test. So I'm happy to get those tested. She said pain in the kidneys is probably the adrenals so we'll get em tested. Said even if I'm not Addison's if I have adrenal fatigue she will help me. I like her . She was reassuring me that I don't have lupus.

Started taking Milk Thistle with meals. I feel some good feelings in the upper right quadrant of the chest, maybe knitting going on! It's got to help.

Disappointed with the oral pathologist who said it's probably oral lichen planus but it's not so bad (though it's eroding in my mouth and very painful for me ) so he won't bother doing a biopsy to confirm it. He said that all they'd do is give me steroids by mouth anyway. Well I think diagnosis would help! Oh well, all the good things I've been doing diet and oral hygeine wise are helping it and it has gotten better particularly since the BTD/GTD. It may totally heal if I keep this up.

Licorice tea is wonderful and if I take it in the morning it saves me from kidney pains, dehydration and salt craving later in the day. Didn't expect it to taste so hot too! Yum! Amazing how most things that are good for you also taste the best.

Hi, to anyone it may interest, it's me again with some news I've been waiting for a long time!

I'm a Le(a+b-) (Non-secretor)and MM type

Just rang up Pathlabs and they may be slow and inefficient causing butt-clenching moments, but they did come through eventually for me. (It took 2 1/2 weeks after I sent the sample, but also 2 weeks to get the sample kits, because they didn't send the blood tube automatically. It also cost over $70 - not so bad). They still haven't finished the saliva test but it's not relevant (would only be if I was Le(a-b-)).

So excited! I've suspected for a long time, well ever since I did my Genotyping in the book and saw how much Explorer suited me. From then on I assumed I was a nonnie and also since I'd had acid reflux that year too and low IAP in blood tests. Before then I'd read LR4YT and thought I must in the normal Secretor group and the chances weren't high that I would be special. Now, I like being special! (It was also confirmed when I gave up wheat and saw how much it made me feel better!)

I am going to love the changes in SWAMI Xpress. I love tomatoes! Yipee super food now! Off to finish cleaning the oven and cook and will do SWAMI properly later now I know for sure. Was hoping I'd be a nonnie as I'd get more favourite foods.

MM though, isn't that the type that is more prone to cancer? I need to get the LR4YT book again.

Welcome to the world of nonnie-hood, come and join us in the clubhouse .

I've got my Swami Xpress too now - have put another thread on here somewhere about it. Got so many of my fave foods as diamonds or superfoods now - intuitively feels so right. Can't wait to get into it all properly.

(((Hugs)))

Andy

Listen to all, plucking a feather from every passing goose, but follow no one absolutely. CHINESE PROVERB

Thanks Lola, you know me, I was looking around everywhere for more info. You're amazing how you keep track of so much info!

Thanks my best Nonnie-mates (secretors are good people too though ).

Andy - best of luck with SWAMI Xpress, please share how you go with it. Hope you get your fave foods!

Being a nonnie and an MM I thank my lucky stars I found this diet and way of life to prevent bad health. I'm one of the few lucky ones who know about this in the world.

Happy to have bananas back! We live in the sunshine state here that grows heaps of them and I was sad not being able to eat them on the secretor diet. Happy now.

Bought a 5kg bulk bag of spelt flour a few days ago (lucky would have been bene if I was secretor or not ). So time to start messing up the clean oven with baking! G has requested pancakes so I'll make some spelt ones tomorrow.

Overdid it a bit yesterday so having adrenal fatigue issues today. Totally detailed the car, cleaned the oven and finished off a big list of stuff. Instead of 'making hay while the sun shines' have to learn to 'slow and steady wins the race'. Soon there will be more days where I feel energetic so I won't have to cram so much in then.

Amazingly my haemorroids would normally be sore after yesterdays difficult Beethoven 2nd (if you know what I mean) isn't sore. The milk thistle is helping the haemorroids! It helps with portal hypotension. Wow (back to more fibre in my diet to prevent this happening too). It's giving me a little indigestion but it's worth it and I feel aware of my liver in a good way like it's fixing something there. Hoping it will help with balancing my hormones (oestrogen dominant) too. That's so much better than taking a SSRI to cut off feeling to that part of the body and muck up your metabolism (please Amazone forgive me )

Not taking full doses of these. Starting to jiggle when I walk don't want to take so many supps forever!

Others:[*]Licorice tea at least 1/day in am and some licorice (blood pressure has still been low 110/70)[*]Green tea,[*]Chamomile tea (first drink of the day - soothing)[*]Must have regular Epsom salt baths and start liver detox protocol thanks for reminding me Lola .

Todays' menu was: homemade yogurt and lychees for breakfast, leftover turkey sauce (celery, onion, garlic, pumpkin, carrot, peas, beans, broccoli, tamari (oh dear black dot) for early lunch/morning tea). With a lentil and rice thing I made up that was slushy but nice. Soaked lentils with basmati rice and then put them both in the rice cooker with extra water and some ginger, garlic and grated carrot. It was good!

Kind of skipped lunch having morning and afternoon teas big, as I normally do.

Had some leftover steamed veggies with ghee for afternoon tea.

Snack on raspberries.

Drinks include very watered down apple juice, grape juice and carob and rice milk drink.

Finally got the printed results from Pathlabs, and people not spelling out phonetics on the phone strikes again!

I had thought I was MM but really I'm MN. That's great, I'm not as susceptible to cancer. Also have hibrid vigour. I didn't really think I was that sick a person, certainly not lately. Whenever I cheat though I get reminded why I'm doing this, though, snuck a hot cross bun over easter and got inflammation to the max instantly. Wow! I don't have to put up with that anymore. Spelt flour tastes nice and is so much better anyway.

Feeling great, except having a bought of sinusitis. Inhaling Tea Tree Oil in boiling water is helping as always (my Indian GP put me onto that and once told me I should see a naturopath ). Getting so much done, having more energy than usual. That is priceless! Thanks Dr D!

hi Symbi..meep..meep Amazone has forgiven btw..great that you are going off that medication; I often watched out that nonnies real suffer to tapper off SSRI's ...btw...would recommend you merely the intake of several aminoacids instead; btw...nonnies might have also an imbalance in HTA-axis.... so far I am sure that l'tyrosine is one of the options to go further ....

the intake of all your supps sound fine... sauf the vit. K...this is a goody for O's but not that fine for A's nor AB's...(blood-clotting issues... )oooh lamb steak..... you live in a great country for that.. oops ok in neighborhood with NZ...